Additional material by Barry Banham

Technical

Admiralty Number: 4137
Official Number: 144799
Yard Number: 65
Completed: 1919
Gross Tonnage: 96
Net Tonnage: 37
Length: 86.2 ft
Breadth: 18.5 ft
Depth: 9.2 ft
Built: The Ouse Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Hook, Nr Goole
T.3-cyl by Urquhart, Lindsay & Robertson, Orchar Ltd, Dundee
Boiler: Clayton, Son & Co Ltd, Hunslett

History

17.5.1919: Launched by The Ouse Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Hook, Nr Goole (Yd.No.65) (“Admiralty drifter) for The Admiralty as GROUNDSWELL (Ad.No.4137).
21.4.1920: Completed as a fishing vessel.
19.11.1920: Transferred to The Fishery Board for Scotland, Edinburgh for disposal. Laid up at Dundee.
8.2.1921: Registered at Aberdeen as ELIE NESS (A638) (O.N.144799).
20.6.1921: Sold to Alexander Wood & Thomas Wood, Aberdeen (J. W. Johnston, manager) for £5,250 under HM Treasury mortgage agreement (Disposal of Admiralty Drifters to Ex-service Fishermen).
11.1922: Mortgage foreclosed. Repossessed by His Majesty, represented by the Commissioners representing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland, London.
8.12.1922: Aberdeen registry closed “Vessel no longer used for fishing”. Laid up at Lowestoft.
4.4.1923: Sold to Arthur Gouldby, Kessingland
4.4.1923: Registered at Lowestoft (LT1259).
18.4.1923: Sold to Arthur Gouldby, Kessingland (48/64) & Harold Cladingbowl, Lowestoft (16/64).
23.4.1923: Sold to Arthur Gouldby, Kessingland (32/64), Harold Cladingbowl (16/64), Frank Burton (16/64), both Lowestoft.
25.8.1924: Sold to Arthur Gouldby, Kessingland (48/64) & Frank Burton, Lowestoft (16/64).
1929: Seasonal fishing from Fleetwood (New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, managing agents).
4.4.1929: Steam drifter CONSTANT STAR (LT1158) disabled off Blackpool following boiler room explosion. Connected and delivered Fleetwood.
22.4.1930: Following death of Frank Burton; Arthur Gouldby, Kessingland (48/64), Edith Burton, Clement Brunswick, Arthur Gouldby, joint owners (16/64). 1930s: Seasonal trawling from Padstow and Fleetwood (New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, managing agent).
26.3.1932: At Padstow damaged in collision with steam drifter OLIVAE (LT1297).
26.6.1933: Arthur Gouldby mortgaged 48 shares to National Provincial Bank Ltd, London (A).
11.4.1934: Sold to Arthur Gouldby, Kessingland.
12.4.1934: Arthur Gouldby mortgaged 16 shares to National Provincial Bank Ltd, London (B).
1935: Fishing from Fleetwood (New Docks Steam Trawling Co (Fleetwood) Ltd, managing agents).
18.12.1936: Sold to Star Drift Fishing Co Ltd, Lowestoft (Frederick E. Catchpole, manager) under mortgages (A) & (B).
21.1.1937: Mortgages (A) & (B) discharged.
1.8.1937: Grounded off Stornoway, wrong course to steer given by skipper (SSW should have been SSE).
26.8.1937: Registered at Lowestoft as TRUSTY STAR (LT1259).
1.7.1939: Stranded at Waterford. Steam drifter DORIENTA (LT185) connected and refloated.
21.11.1939: Requisitioned for war service on examination service (Hire rate £32.0.0d/month). Later employed as a minesweeping drifter.
30.4.1941: Sunk.
13.7.1941: Salved and returned to miscellaneous Naval duties.
24.10.1941: Compulsorily acquired by M.O.W.T. Continued on miscellaneous Naval duties.
10.6.1942: Mined off Malta. No casualties.
6.12.1946: Lowestoft registry closed.

Click to enlarge image

S.D/T. Elie Ness LT1159
Picture courtesy The Barry Banham Maritime Photo Collection

Changelog

30/10/2010: Page published. 4 updates since then.
15/10/2018: Removed FMHT watermark from image.
06/06/2020: Updated information.